Page 1 of 4

Five Year Update

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:03 am
by cosmicdolphin
Hey all

I've just gone over 5 years of Sync Licensing now - I posted an update last year here : four-year-update-t144067.html?hilit=yea ... r%20update

So I figured I should share where I am up to now a little over a year later :

2016 - 87 cues produced - 1 Library Deal - Total Earnings £0

2017 - 70 cues produced - 2 more Library Deals - Total Earnings - £50

2018 - 88 cues produced - 2 more Library Deals - Total Earnings - £120

2019 - 50 cues produced - 2 more Library Deals - Total Earnings - £720 ( mixture of Royalties - Sync Fees - Up front fees and blanket splits )

2020 - 100 cues produced ( extra time at home due to Covid meant more studio time ) - 3 more Library Deals - Total Earnings £ 700

10 Libraries in total

Although less than last year this is all backend whereas last year almost half of what I earned come up front in the form of consideration fees where they give you a small amount for each cue in advance. However to get those the Library took a cut of the writers backend which I'm not prepared to accept any longer so I've stopped supplying them with music ( just to be clear this was NOT a Taxi Library )

Total number of placements is now 50 from 380 cues in various Libraries ( this is up from 30 from 295 in 2019 )... some of the stuff from last year hasn't been released yet as they are holding a ton of stuff back due to the production companies being quieter because of Covid.

Some firsts this time around include :-

A placement from a cue in the same month it was published :shock: ..Submitted December 2020 - Released January 2021 - placed about 2 weeks later that month ( burbling synth arpeggio type thing ) on science-y covid section on a news/current affairs show.

Library owners contacting me personally and asking for music after hearing my stuff elsewhere

Attending a RR finally even if it's only virtual

Getting a warning from the Forum Admin :lol:

Having some of my feedback taken onboard by the Dev Team of my preferred DAW Cakewalk and implemented in an update

Some of the main placements are here if anyone wants to listen : https://soundcloud.com/user-45178330/se ... eard-on-tv

Thanks as ever to my friends @Andygabrys and @Telefunkin for humouring me and my terrible puns and endless mix revisions.

Mark

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:22 am
by Telefunkin
cosmicdolphin wrote:
Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:03 am
Thanks as ever to my friends @Andygabrys and @Telefunkin for humouring me and my terrible puns and endless mix revisions.
Mark
Congratulations on your achievements Mark (and you're welcome :roll: 8-) :)).

I think this is a valuable reference for anyone who thinks that earning money from sync is quick or easy. No doubt there will be many who have made more money faster (although that is only one measure of "success"), but most of us have or will do less well. Knowing that you're very good at what you do and that you make a great effort to do the right things from an educated and well-informed position, I guess people can read this and make their own minds up about the merits of the fabled "5 year Plan".

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:15 pm
by cassmcentee
Cool Mark!
Thanks for honestly sharing your journey, it needs to be heard.
Congrats
Cass

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 2:50 pm
by LamarPecorino
Thanks for sharing, Mark!

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 5:09 pm
by superkons
Congrats and thanks for sharing and keeping us in the loop!

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:29 pm
by JohnnyP
Hi Mark and congrats on the trajectory! I appreciate you sharing your details, very helpful to a lot of us!
Here’s to a good 2021/22 when all the held back songs and cues can get out into the sync world!
Best, John

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:59 pm
by DBarnett
Congrats Mark! Very interesting and encouraging :D

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 1:24 pm
by johnnyrowing
Thanks for sharing. I have heard rumors that Year Six is where the momentum really begins.

I wish you much success.

And, as a sidenote, thanks for your contributions to the board. You are consistently available to give a critical ear and advice.

Johnny

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 1:29 pm
by cosmicdolphin
johnnyrowing wrote:
Fri Feb 12, 2021 1:24 pm
Thanks for sharing. I have heard rumors that Year Six is where the momentum really begins.
Haha..someone told me it's year seven...and Corona might put it back a year or two...you just gotta keep showing up...if you get on Forward you can get another...if you get into on Library you can get into another...and if you can get a placement then you can sure as hell get another.

Re: Five Year Update

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 6:53 pm
by Ted
Mark, congrats! You've helped me personally a lot with critiques, encouragement and suggestions-- Thanks for that. I haven't focused much on submitting to a ton of listings and stuff like that this year-- I've taken a step back and have been working on improving skills that needed work, like mixing. And I'm making good progress.

Best of luck in year 6 and beyond!

Ted